widgeon

• POS: Noun
• HYPHEN: widg=eon

CIDE DICTIONARY

widgeon, n. [Probably from an old French form of F. vigeon, vingeon, gingeon; of uncertain origin; cf. L. vipio, -onis, a kind of small crane.].

 Any one of several species of fresh-water ducks, especially those belonging to the subgenus Mareca, of the genus Anas. The common European widgeon (Anas penelope) and the American widgeon (Anas Americana) are the most important species. The latter is called also baldhead, baldpate, baldface, baldcrown, smoking duck, wheat, duck, and whitebelly.  [1913 Webster]

Bald-faced widgeon, or Green-headed widgeon, the American widgeon. -- Black widgeon, the European tufted duck. -- Gray widgeon. (a) The gadwall. (b) The pintail duck. -- Great headed widgeon, the poachard. -- Pied widgeon. (a) The poachard. (b) The goosander. -- Saw-billed widgeon, the merganser. -- Sea widgeon. See in the Vocabulary. -- Spear widgeon, the goosander. [Prov. Eng.] -- Spoonbilled widgeon, the shoveler. -- White widgeon, the smew. -- Wood widgeon, the wood duck.

OXFORD DICTIONARY

widgeon, n. (also wigeon) a species of dabbling duck, esp. Anas penelope or Anas americana.

Etymology

16th c.: orig. uncert.